Throne room

Hunter was sitting on the gilded throne, its golden arms cold beneath his hands. He looked like the king he was meant to be. His dark brown hair was neatly styled, his stormy gray eyes distant and cold with the reserved benevolence of a ruler accustomed to absolute power.

He watched the members of his cabinet converse with the Alphas from the other packs in hushed tones. They were all waiting. Everyone was waiting.  

But his wolf, Magnus, was far more impatient than everyone else.

Magnus, who'd been dormant in his head for years, suddenly began to howl and growl the moment he'd been told Nora was here, already in the palace.

His wolf had been so restless that Hunter found it difficult to control himself. His heart had been beating erratically—hard and fast, like it might burst from his chest at any moment. But as the regal king he was, no one could notice the slight thudding of his left leg against the floor. No one could see how his eyes burned with impatience barely contained beneath the surface. How could they, with his stoic demeanor firmly in place?

Still, he couldn't hold it anymore.  

He stood abruptly and regretted the move when everyone turned to him, the hall going silent.

"I will go get my Luna," he said, his voice low. He gestured for his beta to follow as he walked out of the hall.  

"Yes, she's still ours. Till it's over," Hunter heard his wolf mutter in excitement. He rolled his eyes.  

This was all his wolf's doing. He just needed to do something before Magnus drove him crazy sitting there.  

He didn't even know why he'd called her ‘his Luna’ in front of everyone.  

Magnus just howled happily.

---

However, when Hunter caught sight of Nora, he instantly became a fanboy too. He was smiling like he'd lost it.

She was magnificent.  

That was the first thought that crashed through him. Five years had truly sharpened her. She'd grown into a woman worth far more consideration than he'd ever given her.

She wore simple clothing—black jeans, a black singlet, a black leather jacket—but she moved like royalty itself. Like power had decided to take human form and go for a walk through his palace.  

"Our mate is gorgeous and sexy," Magnus purred in Hunter's head, and truly, Hunter couldn't agree more.

Hunter saw Maverick's small smile and quickly adjusted his expression. He was sure Maverick must have seen the infatuated look on his Alpha's face.

He focused back on his mate, noting how even Marilyn, the great seer, looked small in comparison to the raw presence Nora commanded.  

They were walking toward the throne room, chatting quietly. They hadn't noticed him yet.

So Hunter used his werewolf hearing to focus on their conversation, straining to catch fragments of what they were discussing.  

Then he heard her say something that didn't sit well with him, and he frowned.

"So you still believe your father was murdered by a member of the council?" he said before he could hold himself back.  

"Yes, Alpha Hunter. I believe you know it's not a lie," she replied, without even blinking.

Hunter's jaw clenched.  

She'd just called him out without ever raising her voice or looking directly at him. It was like saying, "You're the liar here. Not me," without ever actually saying the words.

Silence fell between them, heavy and charged with something neither of them could name.  

Each held the other's gaze.  

Hunter's face finally crumpled into something that looked almost defeated. He dragged a hand down his face.  

Nora's expression remained completely unmoved. Her eyes held a message that needed no words: I don't fear you. What exactly can you do to me?

Hunter didn't like that. Perhaps it was best he stuck with his obedient Lisa. Powerful women were dangerous. Unpredictable. Impossible to control.

As the silence stretched, Marilyn's heart sank. The tension between them was suffocating, and she reached out instinctively for Nora.  

But Nora pulled her arm away.

Hunter's brows furrowed in surprise.  

Then Nora turned to her mother, smiling as though the rejection had never happened. "Mom, I had no idea you were bringing me to the throne room. I think I'll take a look around. It's been ages since I've properly inspected the palace."

Before Marilyn could reply, Nora had begun walking up the steps to the grand porch.  

Hunter watched her move. Before she could pass him entirely, she offered the briefest of bows. Respectful enough that no one could fault her. Cold enough to freeze the soul itself.  

She didn't acknowledge him beyond that. She didn't speak. She didn't even look at him. She simply moved past him like he was furniture, like he was part of the palace architecture rather than the Alpha King.

But he didn't care. He was lost in his head, battling control with Magnus.  

All the while, Magnus was going crazy over her scent. She still smelled like vanilla, but with wild berries instead of raspberries now. She didn't smell like home anymore. She smelled like a storm, and nothing like the girl who used to sleep on his chest when they were growing up.  

"She smells the same," Hunter heard his wolf purr, jumping wildly in his head.

Realizing that Magnus would literally go worship Nora if given the chance, Hunter forced his thoughts to Lisa. That did the trick—Magnus recoiled in irritation, and Hunter smirked in victory.  

That's right. Lisa was exactly what he needed. She was obedient, devoted, entirely under his control. Lisa would never walk away from him like that. Lisa would never reject his touch or his presence.  

Or so he thought.  

He heard Magnus growl at him in his head, and he growled back.

---

Back in the throne hall, Hunter was everywhere, like he was trying to prove himself.

"Bloodmoon Kingdom, I present to you my Luna," he announced, his voice carrying over the hall.

The room erupted in applause.  

Hunter was sure he could feel Nora's skin crawl at the sound of his voice.  

But he was far from done.  

He reached his hand out to her and saw the glare she shot him. But there was nothing she could do, especially with the whole court watching.  

She hesitantly placed her fingers in his, and he used the opportunity to squeeze her warm hand a little.  

That small contact almost made Hunter lose control to Magnus. He gritted his teeth to keep his composure before speaking.  

"My Luna is back today, after such a long time. She is a dutiful queen who would never abandon her people in times of trials and tribulations."  

The court nodded in excitement.  

"My Luna has been blessed by the Moon Goddess with exceptional skills," Hunter continued, squeezing her hand again. "And today, she has come to help us find answers pertaining to the beast's movements."

The moment he finished, he felt her hand slip away from his.  

But she looked calm and unreadable. He bit the inside of his lip as he waited for her to speak.  

Then she finally smiled. A sweet smile that he wished was meant for only him.  

This time, it was Magnus's turn to roll its eyes.

"My people," Nora began, her voice clear and even. "I'm glad to meet you all today. As you can see, I've just returned from a very long distance."  

She paused, and the whole room went silent with her.  

"And even though I know what we're doing is important and urgent, I would like to take a nap first."

Silence.  

Deafening.  

Hunter's eyes darkened.  

But Nora wasn't done. This time, her smile was wide and bright, like an innocent, pitiable girl.  

"You know, there's one thing Alpha King Hunter mentioned which is quite correct," she said.  

Hunter's stomach dropped at the way she said his name.  

Nora continued, unperturbed.  

"And that is: I will never abandon my people in times of trials and tribulations. I am with you all. Together, we will get to the root of this problem."

Another pause.  

"But that cannot be today. Answers take time, my people. And I need sleep. So if you would all excuse me."

Confusion flickered across the faces of those in the court.  

Hunter was dying inside. This wasn't at all what he expected her to say.  

"Our mate is so bold. I like it," Magnus said, with no disagreement at all.

"What I meant is, all of us sitting here all night won't bring answers. It's time for investigations. And everyone's duties will be well delegated by our King."

She gave a small nod.  

"Thank you."

Hunter watched her walk away without looking back, and suddenly felt a sharp ache in his chest. She didn't even notice his small efforts to get her attention.

"You were only teasing her," Magnus countered, obviously blaming Hunter for upsetting their mate.

"My king, why don't you follow her instead of just staring?" Maverick appeared beside Hunter.

"Fuck off, Beta," Hunter growled at Maverick through their link.  

The link snapped shut.